How an award-winning investigation exposed corruption, political pressure, and the power of persistence
Investigative journalist İsmail Arı received second prize at the 2025 EU Investigative Journalism Awards for exposing large-scale corruption at the Yunus Emre Foundation, one of Türkiye’s most prominent public institutions with a global cultural mission. His reporting uncovered how millions of lira were diverted from the foundation through fake invoices, findings later substantiated by official investigations, police operations, and court proceedings.
The story not only triggered public outrage but also demonstrated the enduring power of investigative journalism in the face of political pressure and judicial silence.
The seriousness of the case became clear early on.
“It is a major scandal that a public foundation with dozens of administrators and reporting directly to the Minister of Culture and Tourism was looted through fake invoices,” Arı says.
Access to official tax inspection reports confirmed his suspicions.
“I also obtained the reports prepared by tax inspectors, and I could hardly believe what I was reading.”
While corruption has, in his words, become disturbingly normalised, the scale of this case stood out.
The investigation unfolded across several institutional layers.
Arı examined tax inspectors’ audit reports, documentation, and criminal complaints from the Directorate General of Foundations, as well as materials from the prosecutor’s office, including indictments. He also secured financial records showing payments from other public institutions to the companies involved.
Rather than publishing a single exposé, Arı chose persistence.
“I didn’t settle for a single news story; I produced numerous stories that shed light on how the scheme was carried out, its financial scale, and the network of connections behind it. My work on the matter continues.”
Among the most critical sources were the tax inspectors themselves.
“They had already laid out every detail with precision,” Arı notes.
Yet uncovering the truth came at a cost. Individuals whose signatures appeared in the documents filed repeated criminal complaints against him.
During his testimony, he told prosecutors: “Consider my statement as a denunciation as well. Investigate the individuals whose signatures appear in the scheme and take their statements,” but he says authorities showed little interest. Attempts were also made to derail the reporting. “They even claimed that some of the signatures had been forged, but of course, that was not true. All signatures and information were authentic.”
Despite pressure and legal threats, Arı remained steadfast.
“I am a journalist. I have a responsibility to ensure that the public has access to accurate information,” he says, emphasising his confidence in his sources and documentation.
“I have ignored the pressure, the complaints filed against me, and the attempts to mislead me with false information, and I continue to ignore them.”
For Arı, persistence is not about heroism but principle.
“I simply believe in journalism, in truth, and in the public’s right to accurate information.”
Following publication, inspectors filed criminal complaints, police detained 23 suspects, and arrests followed. Two separate court cases were opened. Opposition leaders, members of parliament, political parties, and journalists kept the scandal in the spotlight, while social media response was intense.
Still, Arı notes gaps in accountability.
“There is a striking silence within the judiciary regarding their cases,” he says, adding that many believe some individuals are being shielded from prosecution.
Public support and solidarity, Arı emphasises, are essential for journalists working in the public interest. Even partial accountability, he notes, can make a meaningful difference, as any action taken after publication strengthens journalists’ motivation to continue.
Through this award-winning investigation, İsmail Arı has not only exposed corruption but reaffirmed the role of journalism as a public service, one that persists, even when power resists scrutiny.
